Sit-In at San Diego Democratic Party HQ Being Planned for Monday, Dec. 19, to Protest Defense Bill

Upset over plans by President Obama to sign the National Defense Authorization Act, various members of local progressive groups had an emergency meeting Sunday morning and formed San Diegans to Save the Bill of Rights. The group is holding a sit-in at the Democratic Party headquarters on Monday, December 19th.

Here is their Press Release:

From: San Diegans to Save the Bill of Rights

In protest of President Obama’s promise to sign the National Defense Authorization Act, San Diegans to Save the Bill of Rights are holding a sit-in at the headquarters of the San Diego County Democratic Party.

What: Sit-In Protest at Democratic Party Headquarters

Date: Monday, December 19, 2011

Time: 11:00 a.m.

Place: 8340 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, San Diego, Calif.

IN DEFENSE OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS

A coalition of local activists from various progressive and Democratic-aligned groups are planning a Sit-In at the local offices of the San Diego County Democratic Party beginning Monday, December 19th. This sit-in is an attempt to convince President Barack Obama to veto a Defense authorization bill containing heinous provisions for indefinite and unexplained military arrest of American citizens on America soil.

The president recently rescinded his pledge to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, which is currently awaiting his signature. The act would empower the President to authorize the various armed services to seize and jail, endlessly and without charge or jury trial, any citizen he considers a threat to national security.

Monday’s demonstration at the headquarters of the San Diego County Democratic Party, 8340 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and is being sponsored by members of the local council of San Diego MoveOn, and of the local chapters of Progressive Democrats and Democrats for America.

“This is a stealth attempt by Republicans and centrist Democrats to bring a war on terror down onto the homes of America, ” said Frank Gormlie, who chairs the local council of MoveOn. “It represents nothing less than civil war against dissent, a destruction of the Bill of Rights, and is a mechanism previously limited to totalitarian governments of the 20th Century,” Gormlie said.

Another MoveOn council member pointed out that Congressional supporters of the disembowelment of the Fourth Amendment search and seizure provision are “leaving conscientious people with no alternative but to do the thing the bill threatens, dissent.”

The bill was initially opposed by California Sen. Diane Feinstein, but many Democratic Party Representatives in the House and Senate – including her and Senator Barbara Boxer – approved sending the bill with its suspension of habeas corpus rights to the White House, including many who are considered liberals, such as Representative Susan Davis.

Though the American Civil Liberties Union and other national organizations in the past week have sent out internet and postal mailed alarms about the poison provisions in the bill, President Obama’s flip flop on his position against the domestic arrest provision has essentially escaped the notice of the mainstream media.

“There has not been any substantial national discussion on such heavy changes to our basic rights,” Gormlie said. “What you get instead are exhortations to us to get out and shop so that we can save the economy.”

Gormlie continued:“No one cares to point out that this is a national crisis of our civil liberties, an end to the posse comitas laws, and at the time when the Occupy Wall Street movements have challenged the establishment, this bill would allow our troops to sweep up dissenters in public parks across the country, by calling them ‘suspected terrorists’ – like occupy protesters were called in London recently.”

A woman who was a recent member of the local Move On Council pointed out that the Department of Homeland Security has already resorted to tactics aimed at intimidating peace advocates, saying that she knows people who received ominous Homeland Security letters when they sent medical supplies to Iraqi citizens. “If this bill passes, these people could be arrested for ‘aiding terrorists.’”

Some facts people planning and considering should know:
– NDAA was already been signed by Obama.
– It was voted through the *Democrat* controlled senate *93 to 7*.
– Obama claimed he wanted to veto the bill, but then it came out that he was vetoing it on grounds that he already claimed to have that power! The part where it destroys our freedoms and rights as Americans. That part didn’t bother him.
– Then later even more amazingly it came out that it was the White House themselves who changed language in the bill so it would apply to US citizens! In other words, that part about destroying our freedoms and rights not only didn’t bother him. It was his idea. That’s what he wanted.
See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ARkiJM2bA

A “sit-in” sponsored by Democratic party front groups doesn’t seem like much of an effective protest.
Someone please prove me wrong that this isn’t some lame co-opt diversion move.
Go down there and make it completely clear and express your fury at the targets who deserve it — *Obama* and the Democratic traitors. Don’t expect the Democratic party to make it all better for you. Reconsider you association and membership with them.
The Democratic Party has made it abundantly clear they are part of the problem, and not any kind of solution.

Considering this “protest” was organized by some last minute mystery “San Diegans to Save the Bill of Rights” group makes me question what is really going on here. It seems fishy to me.
Some of the issues that MoveOn professes to support are good but you have to realize that MoveOn is a group is basically a fundraising front group for the Democrat party who is nothing more than a front group for corporate money and Wall Street banks.

If you support the Democratic party you might as well cut out the middle-man and write a check to Obama’s buddies at Goldman Sachs and all the other Wall Street banks and corporations that helped get him elected in his cabinet and advising him.

Anyone who still identifies as being a “Democrat”, or who thinks that voting for Obama and the Democrat party line somehow will save them… please wake up.
At least with Bush you know what you were getting. Obama is the great deceiver in that he actually gave us “hope” but instead we got the same as Bush, or even worse.

This way of thinking that poor ole Obama can’t do anything because the big bad Republicans stop him is false and purposefully misleading. It’s all an act.
The Democratic party, as well as the GOP (as usual), are the ones that betrayed the American people and continue to do so.
They’re just two faces on the same *one-party* system playing bad-cop/good-cop.

Okay, correction on this.
I thought the bill had actually been signed.

Actually, Obama has stated that he will sign the bill, but hasn’t yet done so.
That’s where I got that mixed up.

Yes, I absolutely want him to veto that bill. So I am for this.
I’ve given up on trying to justify or defend Obama’s actions for a while now, even though I was an enthusiastic supporter during his election.

I’m wary of Democratic parties front groups trying to confuse what’s going on or trying to persuade people that we have to hold our noses and keep voting for them since we have no choice.

This is not new. I voted green for 12 years only to watch the party wither and pretty much die out. Now I choose a “green” candidate from the Dem. pool. Unfortunately, Mike Gravel is getting too old to run for president. Though if he were to appear on an independent ticket, I’d vote for him.

I propose we write another constitution for this country. Start now so that when the dust settles after the chaos that should be coming, a new & better constitution will be in the works. The present document is flawed, we know that. Let’s write another one that includes all the people, closes loopholes for the govorporation, & levels the field for 99% of people of the United States. Writing another constitution would be a very clear goal for the Occupy Movement. Put the goal at the top of the list for all of the cities in the country w/ a faction of the Occupy Movement, & then we can plan a Constitutional Convention one year from now.
Again:
I propose we write another constitution for the United States of America.

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